


"Just to Mess Things Up"

by zosimos (trismegistus)



Series: Reverse'verse [6]
Category: Fullmetal Alchemist (Anime 2003)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon, Community: daily_prompt, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-09-24
Updated: 2010-09-24
Packaged: 2017-10-12 04:14:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 486
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/120631
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/trismegistus/pseuds/zosimos
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Five words can really screw things up.</p>
            </blockquote>





	"Just to Mess Things Up"

"Get out of my house."

Edward had regretted the words the second they came out of his mouth, the moment that the hurt had registered in Rian’s eyes. The boy was good at controlling his emotions, eerily so, and it was only there a split-second before something far more familiar replaced it.

Anger.

 _Good,_ Edward wanted to say. _That’s good. Hate me. That’s better for you in the long run._ He couldn’t open his mouth because Rian was already on his feet, dark eyes blazing in anger.

It was the same anger he had when Edward had first met him months ago. The boy was angry, a bundle of untamed fire that was going to burn out very quickly unless Edward stepped in to guide him. He hadn’t intended to guide him into the military. He hadn’t intended for that path to lead into his bed.

He didn’t intend for a lot of things that had happened.

Rian had fit so nicely into that gaping hole in his life. The kid was smart as a whip and wouldn’t back down from Edward’s aggression. Before long it almost seemed like he knew Edward, and Edward’s plans, better than Edward himself did.

And yet.

He didn’t know Edward. At all. He didn’t know the things that Edward had been through, he didn’t know to stay out of things that didn’t concern him. Edward didn’t keep his past as buried as he thought; as evidenced by the fact that he came home late one evening to Rian sitting cross-legged on the floor of the bedroom, a set of old, stained white gloves that had to have come from Edward’s nightstand on his knee and papers spread out in front of him.

Roy’s gloves.

He had found _Roy’s gloves._

The panic set in mixed with anger, he had yelled. Edward shouted and ranted and raved, but it had never been _at_ Rian before, not like this. It had startled the boy, but those last words that Edward had uttered drove the point home.

_Get out._

Rian didn’t say anything, the expression on his face spoke for itself. He shoved past Edward in the doorway, and Edward heard the thud of his boots down the hallway and the door slammed so hard it rattled the few pictures hanging on the walls.

It was better like this.

Edward kept trying to tell himself that it was better like this, it was better for Rian to hate him with no explanation necessary, it was better for the boy and it was better for him. He put his back against the door frame and slid down into a seated position, still wearing his uniform. He hadn’t even bothered to take off his coat walking through the door.

He buried his face in his hands. _It was for the best_.

If it was for the best, then why did he feel so much like crying?  
 


End file.
